126 



FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



sary to replace the patrol boat Alhacore with a larsjer and better vessel. 

 Therefore early in 1930 the contract was let for such a vessel to the 

 San Diego Marine Construction Company of San Diego and the boat 

 was launched on IMay 24th. The new boat, christened Bluefin, is of 

 heavy construction with graceful lines and fine finish. She is 86 feet 

 in length over-all and 80 feet on the water line. The beam is 18 feet 6 

 inches and the draft about 7 feet 9 inches. She is a single screw vessel, 

 powered with a 200-horsepower Diesel, Atlas Imperial engine, and has 

 a speed of 12 knots. Her tanks hold enough fuel for a cruise of over 

 4000 miles. The engine is entirely controlled from the pilot house. 

 The winches are electrically driven. She is manned by a crew of five 

 men, and Walter Engelke, formerly in charge of the old Alhacore, has 



Fig. 49. Total landings for iState from 1916-1929, including all fish, mollusks 



and crustaceans. 



been made captain. The boat is equipped with tanks of carbon dioxide 

 which will automatically flood the engine room in ease of fire. The boat 

 is to be used not alone for patrol but for fi.sheries research, and one of 

 the special features is a double drum, electricalh' operated winch, 

 which carries 2400 fathoms of five-sixteenths-inch steel cable to be used 

 in oceanographic work in connection with fisheries research. The boat 

 is well equipped and has good accommodations for the crew and for the 

 scientific staff while aboard. The fairly large salon gives ample room 

 in which the research men can work and there is a small laboratory 

 with sink for the scientific supplies and for handling the material 

 gathered by the tow nets and water sampling apparatus. The cost of 

 the boat, including the double drum winch and cable, was $63,000. 

 Already the Bluefin has been active on patrol work and has enabled the 



